UPDATE: President Donald Trump plans to announce his decision on whether to keep or rescind the DACA program on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - At 8 years old, Kevin Vazquez did not know what it meant to live in the shadows.

It was at that age he was brought to live in the United States from his home in Guadalajara, Mexico.

But as a 27-year-old undocumented immigrant, Vazquez knows that feeling all too well - and does not want to go back to it. Living under the constant threat of deportation, job limitations and educational delays are just some of the problems he has faced.

But Vazquez says a piece of paper changed the trajectory of his life, opening opportunities that did not always seem as possible as they did for some of his classmates at East Kentwood High School. As a member of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Vazquez is protected from deportation and eligible for a work permit.

It has been five years since former President Barack Obama signed the executive order for the DACA program, which temporarily shields some young undocumented immigrants from deportation, allowing them to work legally, obtain a driver's license and study.

The Trump administration has sent mixed messages about DACA. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump said he would end the "illegal executive order'' for DACA recipients, sometimes known as "Dreamers." The term refers to the 2001 proposed DREAM Act that would have granted them legal status.

The president is being lobbied to, alternately, preserve the program and fulfill his campaign to end it. But media outlets reported on Friday, Aug. 25, he is likely to end the program soon.

Vazquez, a recent Grand Rapids Community College graduate, will be working on a bachelor's degree in organizational communications at Western Michigan University this fall.

"I really believe I belong in the U.S. and am I'm willing to do whatever I need to do to show that and contribute in a positive way,'' Vazquez said.

"This is an issue for all immigrants and future immigrants of this country.''

Who is eligible for DACA status

To be eligible for DACA, among other requirements, undocumented youth must have:

Arrived in the U.S. before their 16th birthday

Be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012

Have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007

Be currently in school or have a high school diploma or General Educational Development certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States

Not been convicted of a felony or significant misdemeanor or three or more other misdemeanors

DACA authorization can be renewed every two years. According to the most recent DACA numbers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as of March, there were 787,580 initial grants of DACA and 799,077 renewals.

Vazquez's DACA authorization is up for renewal next year.

He said his late godfather lived in Grand Rapids and the family initially visited the area when he was 4.

"My father stayed to build a foundation, so we could have a better life,'' said Vazquez, who said his mother later joined his father in that mission.

Eventually, he and his two siblings joined their parents. Vazquez said the family flew into the country with valid visas that later expired.

What losing DACA would mean

His biggest worry is not deportation, he said. Instead, Vazquez worries DACA will be taken away, and with it all the opportunities afforded to him to freely pursue his dreams for the future.

He wants to go to graduate school and envisions a career working in higher education.

"It is more that sense of security that would be gone,'' Vazquez said.

"If they take DACA away, I won't be able to work legally anymore, and I won't be able to have a driver's license. Your ID is asked for more and more for security, even at social events such as concerts.''

There have been 6,430 initial grants of DACA for Michigan since the program's inception. From Dec. 31, 2016 until March 31, 2017, there have been 216 initial grants of DACA. Advocates say many eligible don't apply fearing family repercussions.

"The administration has been all over the place on DACA's future, depending on the venue and whose speaking,'' said Kate Voight, associate director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

"Looking at this issue nationally, it is more important now than it has ever been to protect Dreamers that are contributing to our communities and the DACA program. It is rough for them to not know their future, and at best it must be stressful and at worse, traumatic.''

But since taking office, Trump has toned down the rhetoric seen during his campaign, admitting it is a difficult decision, and reiterating his preference for comprehensive immigration reform.

In June, Trump did allow the program to be extended. But he also rescinded Obama's 2014 policy known as DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.

Despite the DACA extension, Trump has not said definitively whether he will end the program, leaving Vazquez and thousands of others like him in limbo.

Many are hopeful about bipartisan legislation, the 2017 DREAM Act, introduced in July that would grant legal status and a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

But Voight said there are looming threats. The governor of Idaho and attorneys general from 10 states (not including Michigan) are threatening to sue the administration if it does not end the DACA program by Sept. 5.

"This is definitely not the time to be quiet," said Vazquez, about sharing his story in the face of fear and uncertainty about his future and that of his family.

"I felt a responsibility to advocate for a community that lives in the shadows. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the student activists who gave us this great opportunity (DACA), and I am not going to let it be in vain."

Vazquez said he wants more people to get involved in the movement.

Why some fear speaking out

"People need to be more informed about how politics and policies work so they can be more tactical in advocating for social change,'' Vazquez said.

But DACA students who are speaking out like him about maintaining program protections admit they are fearful of potential backlash against them and their families.

Advocates say some young people don't even apply for DACA status fearing their families will face negative repercussions.

"On paper, the U.S. already knows who we are, but at a community level, they don't really know, and you don't want to make any enemies or bring too much attention to yourself because not everybody agrees with the program,'' he said.

"You never know who is going to do something negative toward you. What's to stop them from calling ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and saying something about you or your family, so that's where the fear is."

Since the start of DACA in 2012, the Department of Homeland Security has only terminated deferred action for approximately 1,500 recipients due to criminality or gang affiliation concerns.

"To be clear, ICE typically arrests those who have/had Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) only if the period of deferred action has expired or if DACA has been or will be revoked due to criminal conviction, gang affiliation, or some other violation of the program requirements,'' said Sarah Rodriguez, deputy press secretary for U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement.

But it is undocumented immigrants in general that immigration rights activists are concerned about, citing examples across the state of longtime residents who pose no threat or have no criminal history being targeted for deportation.

"The biggest thing I want is just greater awareness of the issue because there is a lot of misinformation,'' he said.

"We are not bad people, not rapists or criminals. We are only here to create positive change and have a better life.''

Education is a game-changer

Vazquez and other DACA recipients see that path to that better life coming through higher education. The aspiring college dean and future college president says knowledge is one thing that can't be taken away.

But Daniel Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities, said DACA presents a significant financial burden to students and their families. He said because DACA and other undocumented students are not eligible for any federal student aid and ineligible for federal work study financing school is a struggle.

It currently costs $495 to apply for the work authorization card, and the permit needs to be renewed every two years with a recurring fee of $495.

Money is the primary reason why it took Vazquez eight years to earn an Associate of Arts Degree from GRCC, after graduating from East Kentwood High School in 2009.

"I couldn't apply myself to be an A-plus student because I just didn't have the time,'' he said. "I was working extra hours to pay for classes and DACA and found myself in this vicious circle.''

Before the DACA permit, Vazquez said he could always get jobs doing construction or factory work. But he said whenever he nailed an interview for a more professional job, his undocumented status would eventually be discovered and despite the quality of his work he'd be gone.

Financing school this fall will be challenge but Vazquez says he is receiving a privately funded scholarship that will cover half of his tuition.

He said he chose WMU because they had reputation for working to support undocumented students in their education long before the DACA program.

"That alone just says a lot about the institution,'' he said. "The support is there. Other institutions are starting to have more support as well, but it is not advertised necessarily because I don't think schools want any push back.''

Cheryl Roland, executive director of University Relations, said WMU has been committed to working with undocumented students to get and education since the late 90s, before there was DACA.

"Every one of our presidents have had a really intense commitment to diversity and inclusion. Removing barriers to education is part of our DNA.''

Political climate

Non-permanent U.S. residents and citizens are already prohibited from receiving state financial aid but new legislation was introduced this summer that was said to strengthen existing protections.

State Rep. John Reilly, R-Oakland Township, sponsored legislation this summer, says it is needed because "the tendency is, more and more, to allow illegal immigrants to take advantage of taxpayer funded programs."

Lupe Ramos-Montigny, a member of the State Board of Education, said the unnecessary legislation was disappointing and an example of the current political climate. She said it would be an injustice to end the DACA program and make students vulnerable to deportation.

"These students are very afraid about their future and their families,'' said Ramos-Montigny, who resides in Grand Rapids.

"They have been part of this country and want the American Dream.''

While vice president of the GRCC Student Alliance, Vazquez started a support group for DACA students by DACA students, called GR's Dreamers in Action. He said it informed students about financial and other resources available at colleges and community groups that would support them, as well as helped students navigate the higher education system.

"That was my way of creating a network with a bunch of DACA and undocumented students so we can help each other out,'' he said.

"Our main goal was to help students who are just coming into community college, to put them in a better position than we were.''

While at GRCC, he worked at the M-TEC Center helping people new incoming residents to qualify for citizenship and enroll for their GED.

"I found it so ironic but liberating,'' said Vazquez, who currently works as a program assistant for Promise Partners, a mentoring collaborative, at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.

Vazquez said he is hopeful for comprehensive immigration reform. He said without it the frustration and tension in the country is going to continue to build.

Time for immigration reform

"I don't see any reason at all why they can't get in a room and come out with good structural immigration reform that benefits the public,'' he said. "I definitely don't want some of those negative stereotypes being the reason for not wanting to reform."

"We are just as much a part of the United States as everyone else. It bugs me when people say undocumented immigrants don't pay taxes because we do and paying taxes means we are contributing to our community, the state and this country.''

However, he said they don't receive any of the benefits of paying taxes like Social Security, Medicaid or any other support.

Vazquez said his godfather wasn't even eligible to get on the kidney transplant list to save his life and that spurred his activism.

"The time that you've spent here should more than qualify you to be part of the United States, especially if you've done nothing but contribute in a positive way,'' Vazquez said.

"If you are really willing to put in the effort, there shouldn't be a reason why you are denied resources for a better tomorrow. I just want people to empathize and understand the immigrant's point of view.''